Lower in Different Languages
Discover 'Lower' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'lower' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting a variety of meanings from 'moving down' to 'lesser in rank'. It's a word that transcends cultural boundaries, playing an essential role in many languages and contexts. But what happens when we want to translate this versatile term into other languages?
Understanding the translation of 'lower' in different languages can open up new cultural perspectives. For instance, did you know that in Japanese, the word 'shita' can mean 'below' or 'lower', while in Spanish 'bajo' is used for 'low' or 'lower'? These translations not only help us communicate effectively in various linguistic landscapes but also offer insights into how different cultures perceive and express similar concepts.
Whether you're a language enthusiast, a global citizen, or a traveler planning your next adventure, knowing the equivalent of 'lower' in multiple languages can be incredibly useful. Here's a list of translations that will help you navigate through various languages and cultures with ease.
Lower
Lower in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | laer | ||
| Laer derives from the Dutch word "lager", which can also mean "storage space", as in "kelder" (cellar) | |||
| Amharic | ዝቅተኛ | ||
| The word ዝቅተኛ (lower) can also refer to someone who is humble or modest. | |||
| Hausa | ƙananan | ||
| ƙananan is derived from the Arabic 'qasir' meaning 'short', but can also refer to the 'foot' in Hausa | |||
| Igbo | ala | ||
| The word ala in Igbo can also refer to a type of traditional Igbo dance. | |||
| Malagasy | ambany | ||
| The Malagasy word "ambany" also refers to the underside, lower level, or subordination, while its cognate "lamban" in the closely related Ma'anyan language of Borneo means "under, below". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutsitsa | ||
| The word 'kutsitsa' can also refer to the bottom of a container or the lowest part of a plant. | |||
| Shona | dzikisa | ||
| The word 'dzikisa' is also used to mean 'humiliate' in Shona. | |||
| Somali | hoose | ||
| The word "hoose" also has alternate meanings in Somali, but they can't be translated into English. | |||
| Sesotho | tlase | ||
| The word "tlase" can also mean "beneath" or "underneath" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | chini | ||
| The word "chini" in Swahili also means "bottom" or "foot". | |||
| Xhosa | ezantsi | ||
| Ezantsi can also mean 'the bottom' or 'the back' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | kekere | ||
| The word "kekere" in Yoruba also means "small" or "young." | |||
| Zulu | phansi | ||
| The word 'phansi' also means 'downwards' and 'below' in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | ka lajigin | ||
| Ewe | bɔbɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | munsi | ||
| Lingala | kokitisa | ||
| Luganda | okussa | ||
| Sepedi | fasana | ||
| Twi (Akan) | deɛ ɛwɔ fam | ||
Lower in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | خفض | ||
| The word "خفض'' also means "to lower one's voice" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | נמוך יותר | ||
| The Hebrew word "נמוך יותר" (lower) can also mean shorter or less expensive. | |||
| Pashto | ټیټ | ||
| The word "ټیټ" can also refer to something that is submissive or humble, or to a person who is not intelligent or capable. | |||
| Arabic | خفض | ||
| The word "خفض'' also means "to lower one's voice" in Arabic. | |||
Lower in Western European Languages
| Albanian | më e ulët | ||
| The Albanian word "më e ulët" also means "the humblest" or "the most modest". | |||
| Basque | baxuagoa | ||
| The word "baxuagoa" can also mean "underneath" or "below" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | més baix | ||
| The Catalan word "més baix" can also be used to mean "cheaper" or "less expensive". | |||
| Croatian | niži | ||
| The word "niži" also means "inferior" or "subordinate" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | nederste | ||
| The word "nederste" is derived from the Old Norse word "neðri" meaning "lower" or "beneath". | |||
| Dutch | lager | ||
| The Dutch word "lager" also refers to a horizontal piece of wood or metal, such as a beam or girder, used in construction. | |||
| English | lower | ||
| The word 'lower' comes from the Old English word 'lagere' and can also refer to a frown or a scowling expression. | |||
| French | inférieur | ||
| "Inférieur" can also mean "subordinate" or "inferior" in terms of quality or rank. | |||
| Frisian | leger | ||
| The word 'leger' can also refer to a specific type of fishing net called a 'legger net' in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | inferior | ||
| In medieval legal Galician, "inferior" meant "tenant" of a feoff, in contrast to the feoffor, who was "superior" | |||
| German | niedriger | ||
| The word "niedriger" is also used to describe the altitude of a mountain, as in "der niedrigste Berg im Land" (the lowest mountain in the country). | |||
| Icelandic | lægri | ||
| "Lægri" can also refer to a thigh | |||
| Irish | níos ísle | ||
| The word "níos ísle" is a compound of two words meaning "down" and "below", and can also mean "subsequent" or "later". | |||
| Italian | inferiore | ||
| "Inferiore" can also mean "inferior" or "lower in quality or rank." | |||
| Luxembourgish | méi niddereg | ||
| Maltese | inqas | ||
| The word "inqas" in Maltese is derived from the Arabic word "naqasa", meaning "to decrease" or "to become less". It can also refer to something that is inferior or lower in rank or quality. | |||
| Norwegian | nedre | ||
| Nedre also refers to the south of Norway, as opposed to Øvre (the north). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | mais baixo | ||
| The Portuguese word 'mais baixo' can also mean 'shorter' or 'softer'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | nas ìsle | ||
| The word "nas ìsle" can also refer to a small animal, like a wren or a mouse. | |||
| Spanish | inferior | ||
| The Spanish word "inferior" also means "of lower quality" or "worse". | |||
| Swedish | lägre | ||
| The word "lägre" also means "camp" in Swedish, often referring to a military or scouting camp. | |||
| Welsh | is | ||
| In Welsh, is can be a preposition meaning lower down as well as the suffix for the comparative form of an adjective to make it relative. | |||
Lower in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ніжэйшы | ||
| }ніжэйшы" is also used in Belarusian to refer to a lower social class or caste. | |||
| Bosnian | niže | ||
| The word "niže" also means "below" or "downward." | |||
| Bulgarian | нисък | ||
| The word "низък" also means "humble" or "modest" in Bulgarian, reflecting its historical association with the lower classes. | |||
| Czech | dolní | ||
| The word "dolní" comes from the common Slavic word "dol" meaning "valley" and can also mean "bad" or "harmful" in some contexts. | |||
| Estonian | madalam | ||
| The word madalam also exists in the form `mada` as an adverb or comparative. Madal can also mean `quietly`. | |||
| Finnish | alempi | ||
| The word 'alempi' also means 'underworld' in Finnish folklore. | |||
| Hungarian | alsó | ||
| The word "Alsó" in Hungarian can also mean "undergarment" or "underwear". | |||
| Latvian | zemāks | ||
| The word "zemāks" also means "worse" or "inferior" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | žemesnis | ||
| The Lithuanian word "žemesnis" can also refer to a person of lower social status. | |||
| Macedonian | пониско | ||
| The word "пониско" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*ponizu", meaning "below" or "low down". | |||
| Polish | niższy | ||
| The word "niższy" in Polish can also refer to "inferior". | |||
| Romanian | inferior | ||
| Inferior (inferior) refers to the underworld, hell, or the Devil in Romanian folk language. | |||
| Russian | ниже | ||
| The word "ниже" can also mean "below" or "under" in Russian, and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *nizъ, which meant "low" or "down". | |||
| Serbian | ниже | ||
| The word "ниже" can also mean "downstream" or "downstairs". | |||
| Slovak | nižšie | ||
| The word "nižšie" can also mean "lower" in the sense of "in a subordinate position" or "less important". | |||
| Slovenian | nižje | ||
| The word "nižje" can also mean "downstairs" or "on the ground floor". | |||
| Ukrainian | нижній | ||
| The word "нижній" in Ukrainian is thought to descend from "низъ", an Old East Slavic noun meaning "down". Alternatively, it might come from the Old Slavic adjective "nižъ" with a similar meaning. | |||
Lower in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কম | ||
| The Bengali word "কম" is related to the Sanskrit word "कर्म" (karma) meaning "action" or "work". | |||
| Gujarati | નીચેનું | ||
| નીચેનું is the Gujarati cognate of the Hindi word "नीचे", and also derives from the same Indo-European root as the Latin preposition "inferō". | |||
| Hindi | कम | ||
| कम derives from the root 'कम्' meaning to reduce, so it can also mean less, deficient, or poor. | |||
| Kannada | ಕಡಿಮೆ | ||
| The word "ಕಡಿಮೆ" can also refer to a small amount or quantity. | |||
| Malayalam | താഴത്തെ | ||
| The Malayalam word "താഴത്തെ" can also mean "subordinate" or "inferior". | |||
| Marathi | कमी | ||
| The word "कमी" in Marathi can also mean "deficiency" or "shortage". | |||
| Nepali | तल्लो | ||
| The word 'तल्लो' also implies a geographical direction, signifying 'downstream' or 'located towards a river's mouth'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਘੱਟ | ||
| The word "ਘੱਟ" can also mean "minus", "less" or "subtract" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පහළ | ||
| The word "පහළ" can also mean "downstairs" or "below" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | கீழ் | ||
| "கீழ்" can also refer to "down" or "underneath" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | తక్కువ | ||
| తక్కువ is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *kajj-/*kanj-, meaning "less" or "small." | |||
| Urdu | کم | ||
| The word "کم" also means "less" in Urdu and is used in the context of quantity, number or degree. | |||
Lower in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 降低 | ||
| 降低, from Chinese 降 (jiang), 'to descend', and 低 (di), 'low' | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 降低 | ||
| 降低 can also mean to humiliate or degrade someone. | |||
| Japanese | 下 | ||
| The character 下 can also mean "servant," "subordinate," or "inferior." | |||
| Korean | 보다 낮은 | ||
| The Korean word "보다 낮은" can also be a slang term for something that is of low quality. | |||
| Mongolian | бага | ||
| The word "бага" can also mean "small" or "younger sibling" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အနိမ့် | ||
Lower in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menurunkan | ||
| The word "menurunkan" also means "to demote" or "to reduce" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | ngisor | ||
| The word "ngisor" in Javanese also means "the underworld" or "hell". | |||
| Khmer | ទាបជាង | ||
| The word ទាបជាង can also be used to refer to a person who is humble or modest. | |||
| Lao | ຕ່ໍາກວ່າ | ||
| Malay | lebih rendah | ||
| In Malay the term “lebih rendah” which means lower can also be interpreted as “lesser” or “inferior”. | |||
| Thai | ต่ำกว่า | ||
| The word "ต่ำกว่า" also means "less than" when used to compare quantities. | |||
| Vietnamese | thấp hơn | ||
| Thấp hơn in Vietnamese can refer to both physical and non-physical concepts, such as height, volume, or status. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mas mababa | ||
Lower in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | aşağı | ||
| The word "aşağı" can also refer to the area below a mountain or a region downstream in a river | |||
| Kazakh | төменгі | ||
| In Kazakh, "төменгі" (tomengi) can also refer to the lower part of a river or stream. | |||
| Kyrgyz | төмөн | ||
| "Төмөн" also means "ten thousands" or "10000" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | пасттар | ||
| The Tajik word "пасттар" can also refer to the bottom part of an object or a place that is located lower than another. | |||
| Turkmen | aşaky | ||
| Uzbek | pastroq | ||
| The Uzbek word "pastroq" is a derivation from the Persian "pastr" or "pastroq," which can be traced back to the Sogdian word "pstre." This word has multiple meanings and can also refer to "submissive" or "subordinate". | |||
| Uyghur | تۆۋەن | ||
Lower in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lalo | ||
| "Lalo" can mean "below", "a bottom", or "a base". | |||
| Maori | raro | ||
| The word "raro" also has several other meanings, including "down", "below", and "south". | |||
| Samoan | maualalo | ||
| The Samoan word "maualalo" can also refer to the sea or a gathering place. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mas mababa | ||
| "Mas mababa" can also mean "more affordable" or "cheaper". | |||
Lower in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | manqhana | ||
| Guarani | guejy | ||
Lower in International Languages
| Esperanto | pli malalta | ||
| The word "malalta" derives from the root "mal-", meaning "bad", thus implying a level or condition inferior to another. | |||
| Latin | minus | ||
| Latin "minus" comes from the Proto-Italic "meinos," meaning 'less,' which is also the source of English "meager." | |||
Lower in Others Languages
| Greek | πιο χαμηλα | ||
| πιο χαμηλα derives from the Ancient Greek word ταπεινός, meaning “low” or “humble”. | |||
| Hmong | qis dua | ||
| "Qis dua" can also be used as another word for "short" in some dialects. | |||
| Kurdish | kêmkirin | ||
| The Kurdish word "kêmkirin" originates from the Persian verb "kam kardan", meaning "to reduce or make less." | |||
| Turkish | aşağı | ||
| "Aşağı" can also mean "under" or "less" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ezantsi | ||
| Ezantsi can also mean 'the bottom' or 'the back' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | נידעריקער | ||
| The Yiddish word נידעריקער (nideriker) is related to the German word "nieder," meaning "low" or "inferior." | |||
| Zulu | phansi | ||
| The word 'phansi' also means 'downwards' and 'below' in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | তলৰ | ||
| Aymara | manqhana | ||
| Bhojpuri | निचला | ||
| Dhivehi | ތިރިކުރުން | ||
| Dogri | हेठला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mas mababa | ||
| Guarani | guejy | ||
| Ilocano | pababaen | ||
| Krio | ridyus | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کەمتر | ||
| Maithili | निम्नस्तर बला | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯦꯝꯊꯕ | ||
| Mizo | hnuailam | ||
| Oromo | gadi buusuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନିମ୍ନ | ||
| Quechua | uray | ||
| Sanskrit | अवच | ||
| Tatar | түбән | ||
| Tigrinya | ታሕተዋይ | ||
| Tsonga | ehlisa | ||